Improvement in railroad-switches



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. LINTON, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,575, dated December28, 1875; application tiledv September 1l, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. LINTON, of Charlotte, in the county ofMecklenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railroad- Switches, of which the following is aspecification:

This invention relates to an improved doubleacting safety-switch forrailroads, its object y being to provide for the rapid shifting of therails to make connections with the side track with less exertion thancan be accomplished by means of the switches heretofore in use, and insuch manner as to leave an unbroken track for the passage of trains inwhatever position the rails may be shifted.l

My invention consists in constructing the adjoining sections of the mainrails at the switching-point with movable rails attached to switch-barsadapted to move in opposite directions, by which said rails may besimultaneously shifted, so as to connect with each other or the rails ofthe adjacent side tracks, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of a railway, showingmy improved invention, in which the movable sections are in position toform a continuous main line; and Fig. 2, a similar view, showing therails as shifted to connect with the side track.

The letters A A represent the main track, and a a the movable rails,tbrming the adjoining sections, pivoted vor otherwise swiveled at theirends to the cross'ties B B ofthe roadbed. The adjoining ends of saidmovable sections rest on the common cross-tie C, on which they arecapable of a lateral movement in opposite directions, which is limitedby the abutments or projections D on the upper side of said tie. E Erepresent two switch-bars, one being` secured to each opposing movablesection of the main rail, and capable of a longitudinal sliding motionin opposite directions.

The letter 4F represents the switch-lever, by

of a short gide-rail, k, on the opposite side,

the main yrail being broken, as shown, to allow of the passage of thewheel-flange as the trains pass from one track to the other. Theadjoining ends of the stationary side track are supported upon thecross-bar C, in such relative positions to each other and to the movablesections of the main track that when the latter are properly shifted,Aas shown in Fig. 2, the said movable sections will be thrown inconnection with the side rails, in such manner as to throw the trainsonto the side track, at the same time-forming a continuous andrun.-broken main track for the passage of trains coming in a directionopposite to those switched oti' onto the side track, thus insuringagainst collisions and the destruction of the cars by running ott' thetrack at the switch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

` The combination 'of the movable sections a a', swiveled to the maintrack of the road, and operated by the switch-rods E E, working inopposite directions, with the stationary side rails H and H', the wholearranged to operate substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of the subscribing witnesses. f

SAMUEL E. LINTON.

Witnesses:

S. H. FARRow, \S.`.I.`THoMPsoN.

